The brain has, throughout history, been considered an important achievement in the creation of man, although often secondary to the soul and the heart. Our knowledge about how the brain has been conceived in the past is, however, very fractional, especially for the late Medieval and early modern periods. This conference looks to re-situate the question of knowing the brain anew in a dialogue between medicine (anatomy, physiology and pathology) and natural philosophy (inter alia physics, biology and psychology). 

Programme

Matinée

• Annemieke VERBOON (Centre Alexandre Koyré, Paris) Introduction The visual argument: physicality and the soul in the 15th century
• Sander DE BOER (University of Groningen, Groningen) Mapping the soul’s powers: the flexibility of Aristotelian faculty psychology
• Danielle JACQUART (École Pratique des Hautes Études, Paris) Creux et pleins du cerveau entre XIIe et XVe siècle

Après-midi

• Pauline KOETSCHET (Centre Paul-Albert Février, Aix-en-Provence) Disséquer l'âme. Le moment arabe du débat sur le siège de l'âme rationnelle
• Tanja KLEMM (Morphomata, International Center of Advanced Studies, Cologne) Healing the Brain. Berengario da Carpi, Lorenzo de’ Medici, and Mercury

Final discussion

Chaired by Rafael Mandressi

Organisation

• Annemieke Verboon
• Rafael Mandressi

avec le soutien de l’European Research Council

Lieu

Centre Alexandre-Koyré 27, rue Damesme Paris 13e salle de séminaire 5e étage